El Marsam: Modern and Contemporary Art from Egypt explores the origins and evolution of the Egyptian modern art movement and its lasting influence on contemporary artistic practice in Egypt and across the Egyptian diaspora today.
The exhibition, curated by Heba El Kayal, takes its title from the Arabic word for “studio” — marsam — now favored over the French “atelier,” though the two terms were once used interchangeably. This linguistic shift mirrors the development of modern Egyptian art itself: a movement shaped through dialogue between international modernist currents and local traditions, subjects, and aesthetics. At its heart, the exhibition pays homage to the studio as a site of creation and exchange between artists of different generations.
That exchange plays out across more than 45 works spanning painting, sculpture, drawing, photography, and collage, bringing together historically significant artists alongside leading and emerging Egyptian artists working today. The featured works demonstrate the richness, diversity, and technical sophistication of Egyptian artistic production, and the relationships that developed between artists and their influence on one another.
This exhibition marks one of the first presentations in a public institution in the United States dedicated exclusively to Egyptian modern and contemporary art. Made possible with the support of Egyptian collectors, galleries, institutions, and donors, El Marsam offers U.S. audiences a rare opportunity to engage with Egypt through the eyes of the artists shaping its modern cultural life.
Heba El Kayal is a curator, writer, and researcher specializing in modern and contemporary art from the Middle East and Africa. She holds a BA in English and Comparative Literature from the American University in Cairo, an MA in Modern Art History and Curatorial Studies from Columbia University, and a Postgraduate Diploma in Law (PGDL). She is currently pursuing a PhD at Goldsmiths, University of London, where her research investigates the ethics and politics of private collections in relation to state and institutional collections. She serves on the advisory boards of ArteEast, New York; Strauss Auction House, South Africa; and the ARAK Collection in Doha.
Heba has worked across Dubai, Beirut, New York, and London in a range of art-related roles. Throughout her career, she has consulted for auction houses and private collectors, collaborating with both emerging and established artists from the region. She frequently speaks on artist estate preservation, modern and contemporary Middle Eastern and African art, and the importance of institutional collaboration across the African continent. Her research and professional practice examine the relationships between collecting, ownership, cultural stewardship, and institutional power.
Zeinab Abd El Hamid, Souad Abdelrasoul, Ibrahim Ahmed, Lara Baladi, Inji Efflatoun, Abdel Hadi El Gazzar, Nada Elkalaawy, Yasmine El Meleegy, Marianne Fahmy, Samir Fouad, Sherin Guirguis, Nermine Hammam, Huda Lutfi, Maha Maamoun, Mayo (Antoine Malliarakis), Ahmed Morsi, Mohamed Monaiseer, Youssef Nabil, Hamed Nada, Effat Naghi, Ahmed Maher Raef, Samir Rafi, Mahmoud Saïd, Marcel Salinas, Youssef Sida, Gazbia Sirry, Hassan Soliman, Van Leo, and Seif Wanly.
Watch the program from the opening night of El Marsam: Modern and Contemporary Art from Egypt, with opening remarks by Amb. (ret.) Stuart Jones, President of MEI, and David Welch, Chair of the Board of Governors of MEI, followed by an art talk with Lyne Sneige, Senior Director of the Arts & Culture Center, Heba El Kayal, curator, and Naguib Sawiris, lead donor and lender to the exhibition.
Join us for the public opening of our newest exhibition tracing nearly a century of Egyptian art.
“I stand on the shoulders of women artists like Inji Efflatoun, who created space for individual voices and visibility through a feminist perspective. By bringing these intergenerational artists into dialogue, the exhibition reveals that Egyptian identity has always been far more complex than the colonial images that have shaped global perceptions of our culture. Building on that legacy, my generation continues to reclaim those histories, challenge inherited narratives, and create new ways of seeing Egypt from within.”
Lead funding for El Marsam comes from Naguib Sawiris, who has also generously loaned artworks to the exhibition. Major funding is provided by Hassan Allam, and David and Gretchen Welch. The exhibition is also generously supported by Demi Angelakis Pearson and John Pearson, Teresa Barger, and Habib Gorgi.
